Category: News

While we all knew to expect the Blu-ray debut of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy this spring, Warner Home Video issued a release regarding the previous film incarnation of the classic tale. Here’s the release:

BURBANK, CA (January 27, 2010) – Journey back into the world of Hobbits, Humans, Elves and Dwarves in the all-new The Lord of the Rings Remastered Deluxe Edition coming April 6, 2010 from Warner Home Video.  This original animated classic from acclaimed director Ralph Bakshi and Academy Award Winning producer, Saul Zaentz, has been remastered with pristine New Dolby 5.1 audio and picture quality and will be distributed as a single disc DVD and Blu-ray combo which features a Blu-ray, DVD and bonus digital copy.  The film will also be available for Digital Download. This film is rated PG.

One of the great visionary animation directors of the modern era, Bakshi went to artistic extremes to meticulously bring the legendary world of J.R.R. Tolkien to animated life – adding yet another stunning title to the director’s canon of ground-breaking films. Bakshi’s animation accomplishments include Fritz the Cat, Heavy Traffic, American Pop, Wizards and Cool World.

All the magical adventure of the fantasy classic comes to life in Bakshi’s brilliantly animated tale of the enchanted land of Middle-earth – and the brave band of Hobbits, heroes and Wizards who set out to protect it. When a dangerous and powerful gold ring falls into his hands, a courageous Hobbit named Frodo embarks on an epic adventure. Along with the mighty Wizard Gandalf and some daring Elves, he defends his homeland from the Dark Power  who would destroy it. Set in a mystical age of magic, monsters and unlikely heroes on incredible journeys, The Lord of the Rings will cast its spell over the entire family!

The deluxe edition also features a never-before-seen, 30-minute in-depth interview  with legendary director Ralph Bakshi entitled Forging Through The Darkness: The Ralph Bakshi Vision for The Lord Of The Rings.  This special feature explores his concept for creating an illustrated film, his pioneering rotoscoping process, and inspirations for his visual storytelling.

“The Lord of the Rings is a timeless classic that continues to be a favorite for generation after generation,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Partner Brands Marketing. “The theatrical release in 1978 had a domestic total gross of nearly $90 million at the box office and shipped 1.1 million net videos. We are looking forward to offering this remastered deluxe edition to the fans for their library collections and providing endless enjoyment for years to come.”

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Promoted from comments here:

I’ve gotten the same virus TWICE from The Rama in the past two days…I go to the site and my OneCare tells me that the software n.exe is trying to access the net and I tell it no and then my firewall, auto-updates, and virus protection fail, won’t re-open and pop-ups start…I had to do a system restore. Done with the site over the computer. Accessed it on my phone and got a message saying there was a problem with it’s security certif. Guess I’m onto a new Comics site! :(

Guys?

Once again, the mighty Steve Jobs took the stage in front of scads of Mac-o-philes to present them another device they need so bad it hurts. The iPad debuted to the standard “ooohs” and “oys”, and we here at ComicMix feel no need to wax poetic. We know you don’t care about our awesome alliteration adeptness. How about a little meat n’ potatoes:

• It’s meant to bridge the gap between a smart phone (like that iPhone already collecting dust in your pocket) and a laptop (that horrendously underpowered Macbook Pro heating up your desk).
• It operates on a hybrid OS from the iPhone, on it’s Apple A44 1ghz processor. Meaning you can use all 14.4 bajillion iPhone apps on it, right out of the box.
• iPhone apps will run at a pixel to pixel representation, or you can “double” the size at the same resolution for a faux-full screen effect.
• The aspect ratio is closer to 4:3 than 16:9… A 9.7″ IPS Display.
• Has already won this season’s American Idol (unconfirmed).
• The keyboard pops up like on an iPhone, though it’s now close to lifesize (as in your normal keyboard.)

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Rabid DC fans flocked to their local android dungeons to get their pudgy fingers on the infinitely collectable ‘Blackest Night’ promo rings. Soon thereafter the DC Nationites (Nationals? Nation-Zombies?) could create their very own rainbow brigade, all for the price of a new comic. Sure not every DC loyalist subscribed to every book that came with a ring… but hey, who doesn’t need an extra copy of Superman/Batman? I used mine to sop up a glass of water I let slip at lunch the other day!

Not to be outdone by their own promotion, DC decided it wasn’t too short a time to go right back to the well. Coming in April, packed with ‘Brightest Day’ bannered Green Lantern #53 and The Flash #1 comes … more promo rings! The Flash comes with a newly minted in plastic Barry Allen ring. Green Lantern comes packed with yet another promo Green Lantern ring. Seriously… did they mint one for every living, dead, and legacy GL Corpsmen?

Your local comic emporium will have to order a minimum of 10 issues of each of the crimson and ivy hued heroes with the February previews issue. So, make sure to start whining now, so you can have yet another hunk of plastic to show off to your girlfriend mother.

BOOM! Studios announced today Farscape: Scorpius, an ongoing series starting in April. Written by series creator Rockne S. O’Bannon and David Alan Mack (the Star Trek novelist, not the artist on Kabuki, just to get it out of the way early) it finds everyone’s favorite black leather clad villain deposed from his throne on Hyneria and making a bold new discovery that could put him back on top of the Uncharted Territories.

We took some time to chat with Dave (with Keith R. A. DeCandido, the scripter for the Farscape ongoing series, throwing in little bot mots because as readers of ComicMix know, he just shows up everywhere) and asked him about the new series, and what it’s like to write a story from the antagonist’s point of view.

ComicMix: There are precious few comics that have been
focused on the bad guy in the story… but is Scorpius a bad guy?

David Alan Mack: He
certainly doesn’t see himself that way. From his point of view, he’s probably
the only rational actor in a universe populated by fools and madmen. Of course,
Scorpius is not going to judge his own actions using our brand of moral
compass. He is, in many respects, an amoral individual.

In my opinion, Scorpius is willing to espouse a sense of
duty and offer his loyalty to whomever appears to be on his side, and in the
moment when he makes such a declaration, it’s possible he even means it. But if
he needs to betray his allies to accomplish what he thinks is the most
desirable outcome for himself, he won’t hesitate to put knives in their backs
and twist the blades.

Keith R.A. DeCandido:
Oh, he’s definitely a bad guy—at least by the standards of the people
reading the comic book (and who watched the show). When we first met him at the
end of the first season, he tortured Crais for no good reason, just to be
absolutely sure about something. Scorpius admitted up front that the accusation
Crichton had made simply had to be false, but Scorpius was still willing to
torture a Peacekeeper captain just to be 100% sure.

ComicMix: And yet
he does it in such a mannered and genteel style. Very precise. Play out a little bit of the Scorpius series for us. Where are we starting from?

DAM: We catch up
to Scorpius while he’s in self-imposed exile. He’s been kicked off Hyneria by
the triumphantly returned monarch Dominar Rygel XVI. Left with nowhere to go,
Scorpius is on what one might consider a contemplative retreat.

Then, as Bogart said in Casablanca,
“destiny takes a hand.” Scorpius finds himself in the right place at
the right time, and he makes the most of a new opportunity.

ComicMix: So this
is a decent place for new readers to jump in and get up to speed?

DAM: Absolutely.
The first four-issue arc of Scorpius is
designed to introduce the character to new readers by interspersing flashbacks
from his past, while detailing the new political situation brewing in the Farscape universe, especially in the
Uncharted Territories. (more…)